Rote

Is it strange that every time I pop in a DVD from Universal I cannot stop myself from thinking that every single disk is going to be Battlestar Galactica?

Travesty

On Saturday, June 19, 2010, oil spread northeast from the leaking Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil appears as a maze of silvery-gray ribbons in this photo-like image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite.

The location of the leaking well is marked with a white dot. North of the well, a spot of black may be smoke; reports from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say that oil and gas continue to be captured and burned as part of the emergency response efforts.

Very Important Pet Pet

Driving home, this van was in front of me at a light. This really, completely epitomizes everything I hate about Plano. Half the world struggles to have clean water and enough food to fight off distended stomachs, while here in Plano, rich yuppies pay a king's ransom to have their animals groomed. Worse still, they can't even be bothered enough to climb into their own Lexus's or Hummers to drive to the pet spa(w) next to their own luxury salon, they have to have someone come to them, because anything else might be misconstrued as actual work that has absolutely no pedigree of privilege.

Sure, I have a lot of luxuries as well. I waste money on frivolous things all of the time. But I fully believe that if you are willing to own something, take care of it yourself. Raise your children, take care of your pets and plants. When you have enough money to have a live-in nanny or gardeners, at some point in time you go from enjoying the feeling of ownership that is earned by effort to the ownership that is just to own.

Also, the garishness of the van's design really bugs me with the bubblegum pink and the super-ridiculous dog hair accessories. And the spelling of Spaw is like nails on a chalkboard, or having your knee touched in a way that causes the heebie-jeebies. Yes, that is really what this post is about.

Oh, and the top of the van had the VIP part of the name with an asterisk that VIP means Very Important Pet. So the name of the company is Very Important Pet Pet Spaw. And we wonder why our nation comes in so far behind all others for education. Rich white people teach children this is correct grammar by reinforcing through giving money to the dumb company owners.

It is a very good thing I don't have children, my soapbox is way too large and I would have problems letting them be around the dumb that I see every day.

Childhood

I have been waiting years for this, ever since the first movie came out. Growing up, I have always loved CS Lewis books, the same way people love Frank Baum or JK Rowling. Perhaps it is the age in which I grew up, or just because I read them at the right age, but this was the series I fell in love with that took me out of the normal world into one of fantasy and magic. It wasn't until I was in high school/college I even knew CS Lewis was writing religious overtones, etc. into the stories. The children were children in a fantastical land, Aslan was king and could make everything right, no images of God or Christianity to me. I guess it was the same as kids do not get sexual overtones in most films focused on an adult audience since the concept is utterly lacking for them.

In any case, this was by far my favorite of the 7 books. Of all Lewis books, fiction or non, and I have read them all. Dawn Treader made me happy to read, because it was with all abandon the characters took on their quest, not with uncertainty or knowledge of the future. Everything was up for grabs, including personal development, magic, wonder, date, etc. Everything you want as a kid.

I just really, really hope they don't mess this up. Prince Caspian was disappointing, but the book was as well. I am still glad the skipped 'The Magician's Nephew' (unless the actually make it in chronologically written order, and have Terry Gilliam direct) and man do I hope they skip 'The Horse and His Boy', but I would still like to see 'The Silver Chair'.

Actually, I am perfectly content to have it end after Dawn Treader. The rest is bollocks. This trailer makes me happy like a child, giggle like a child, and full of hope and wonder.

Director guy, you better not mess this up. This is full of my hopes and dreams. Please, do not destroy them before I turn 29.

Lost vs Lost

Two separate maps based on Lost, showing the main island. I am fuzzy, which is correct, or should I just overlay?

Level Two

Standing By My Tastes

They found that each vodka brand differed in its concentration of ethanol hydrates. Vodka drinkers could express preference for a particular structure. Drinkers actually may be perceiving this internal structure or structurability of vodka, rather than taste in a traditional sense, as the scientists note in their report.

Perhaps this is why I have always extremely disliked Grey Goose......

Permanently My Cup

Mood Mugs by thabto. Happy, angry or sleepy. Never the happy, often the angry, mostly the sleepy.

Sad = ...

Try and try again.

Sometimes there are just bad days.

Colorado Bend

0.9 miles from vehicle to campsite. 1.5 miles Lively Loop. 2.24 miles Lemon Ridge Pass. ~4-4.5 miles back down the road to vehicle. 6 times total between campsite to vehicle. 2 times carrying between 30-40 pounds each. Estimated 2000 calories spent just hiking in around a 4 hour span. Gave up after the original plan of 10+ miles hike after about 5.75 miles, then the trip back. 1.8 miles back and forth to the car after leaving cellphone behind and having to make sure it is answered due to being on call. Sore, tired, sunburnt, 1 fire ant bite on stomach, 1 mosquito bite on foot, another on back of left thigh. 2 fireflys, 2 shooting stars, 3 satellites.

I was asked why I like camping/hiking, at a point in time in which I felt like dying. I still think some of the answers were valid, such as seeing/doing something else than spending money I don't have at stores where I don't need things, being out in the world somewhere I haven't been, etc. The answer brought forth from Matt was that he liked that it was hard. When said, I realized I didn't know how to express it before really. I like the challenge, that I am always inadequate and I need to be stronger and harder in these types of things.

That said, we're totally going to do a wimpy camping trip next time, early registered, close to water, no further than 100 yards from a car to tent. Can drink, play guitar, be merry, not want to die.

By the way, a chiropractor appointment after a sunburn hurts really, really badly.

Wright Legacy

Flight patterns by Aaron Koblin.

Lisa Black

Steampunk Taxidermy by Lisa Black. One of the most innovative ways I have seen steampunk used, and likely the only way I'd ever have a taxidermied animal in my home.

BP Oil Disaster Spread

If It Was My Home has a visual indicator that can be moved to show the extent of the BP oil spill. Gives a bit of a different look when you see just how far it really is in relation to other places you know.

Finally!

Patrick Stewart knighted.

Favorite role ever still stands as Mace Sowell in Safehouse.

Lost Point and Click

If TV's LOST was a 1987 point-and-click computer game. by Penney Design.

In Lieu of (Deservedly) Punching in the Face

When You Have Too Much.....

.....You destroy it for the sake of art. Laser cut money by Scott Campbell.